Where's My Flux Capacitor, Doc?

Magnetic Movie from Semiconductor on Vimeo.

I copped this from Paul Hornschemeier's blog News and/or Head Lice . I really do feel like I need to spark one up to watch this through the whole way & 'get' its true essence. Haha!

It's actually an excellent artpiece slash scientific doc called Magnetic Movie. I'm far too sunkissed and beaten from a wrestling session I had with my bike and some streetcar tracks this afternoon to give this film the intro it deserves. But please do check it out. It's mesmerizing. Audio on high/headphones is recommended... Maybe not 11 11 11 high, but... you know... High enough to annoy the neighbours & make dogs run around deliriously chasing their tails.

fact unchecked

In 1978, actor Val Kilmer signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers.

This and many more fun facts can be found and challenged over at Justin Feinstein's newest web creation. As he explains "... fact unchecked is the after dinner breath-mint to the information saturation buffet. Any similarity to actual truth is coincidental, unintentional, and gravely unfortunate."

Awkward Family Photos

There is loving Whitesnake, and there is LOVING Whitesnake. It don't get better than this. Good times!

via swissmiss

A band not to miss :: Crystal Antlers

I couldn't be in Brooklyn last Friday to see Bjork, but i saw the next best thing here in Toronto. Was at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern with my friend Matthew to check out the Vivian Girls. They put on a stellar set. Who doesn't go weak in the knees for an all-girl band. The opening band though, the Crystal Antlers are one's to watch out for. With a mix of California Psychedelic and grunge with a pinch of Mexican punk, this band can only get better.

They are back in Toronto for NXNE so make sure not to miss them this time around.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Neufeld

Björk plays Dirty

Friday May 8 was the place to be in Brooklyn. Live from Housing Works (a charity bookstore working to help homeless individuals living with AIDS) the one-off collaboration between NYC art-rock outfit Dirty Projectors and Icelandic pop-diva Björk was an epic meeting. Just how epic? Flavorwire offers up ten images of the event, followed by ten anecdotes from the intimate performance. (Photo is courtesy of Ryan Muir @ Stereogum.com). Check out the full article.

via flavorwire

From Tapes To Texts

A co-worker of mine sent 'round an e-mail today -- tipping a bunch of us off on an artist's work she thinks is awesome. And, indeed, it is.

Supposedly the internet is abuzz with excited reviews of Iri5's series Ghost In the Machine. Portraits of famous artists (musicians mostly, by the looks of what's out there) done with manipulated cassette tape tape (old film reels as well). I quite enjoyed this Robert Smith number.

But it got me to thinking about another artist whose art is molded out of cassette tapes. His name is Brian Dettmer. And if I'd never stumbled across a tiny little blurb about him once in a magazine, I would have surely missed out on this insanity.

What's that burning plastic smell? Ha ha ha! Okay, Brian -- you have creatively molded a human skull out of old rock tapes from K-Tel or whatever label "X". Fair enough. But then you up the ante by moving on to another medium: the hard cover book...

There are sites that you can visit where you can peek behind the velvet curtain & see the smoke and mirrors of his craft exposed. But I'll leave it as a mystery here.

If you live in Chicago though, and you've got nothing to do tomorrow -- you should try & make it out to the last day of his show 'Adaptations' at the Packer Schopf Gallery.

Pop Sandbox launch party - May 9th

My friend Sarah passed along an invite to the launch party of Pop Sandbox at the Pilot Tavern. It is in conjunction with TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) this weekend, which the very busy Beano will be manning the doors for.

I will let Sarah's voice explain the rest, "The first project that Alex is publishing is a graphic novel about Igor Kenk; the notorious bike thief. He and my friend Jason were filming and interviewing Igor for over a year, right up until his arrest in 2008. Interesting stuff."

Do make an appearance, and make sure you make it over to the Toronto Reference Library this weekend and take as many pictures as you can of Beano in her attractive TCAF t-shirt. I know she will love it.

NYC Souvenir

And to continue with my theme on pigeons today, get the person you love who has everything the ultimate NYC memory. A certified NYC pigeon feather.

The talented people over at BROOKLYNrehab have lots of other fun stuff over at their etsy site.

Check them out!

Pigeon Feather Art

The talented Kate MccGwire, a London-based artist, uses thousands of discarded pigeon feathers to create amazing works of art.

Simply stunning!

Green Porno

Say waht?!? I love Isabella Rosselini. Wonderfully weird.

via whatalicefound

Look at this dog

Says it all. Who wouldn't want this dog. Look at that cocky smile.

via glass tumbler

TCAF 2009

(Bryan Lee O'Malley)

If you dig small press, graphic novels and/or comics, you should definitely check out the Toronto Comic Arts Festival next weekend (May 9th & 10th)! Even if you don't think it's your bag, you should drop by because you might see something there that changes your mind.

And it's FREE!!

(Yoshihiro Tatsumi)

This year, I have volunteered myself for the event. So, if you do show, you'll be able (at the very least) to heckle me while I run about in my bright red TCAF shirt -- ushering co-dorks to and fro.

For those of you with ankle-biters -- there's gonna be a whole kids section w/Owl Magazine on site & a presentations/activities room on the Sunday.

(Gabrielle Bell)

TCAF is @:

Toronto Reference Library
(click here)
Sat - 10am-5pm
Sun - 11am-5pm

I'm not even going to bother listing some of the guests (there are craploads). Just go here: TCAF '09

TCAF '09 is going to be the biggest TCAF to date. So please, please, please try not to miss out!